Srinagar, March 09, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, forceful demonstrations were held in Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla, Islamabad and other areas, today, under the banner of Joint Resistance Leadership against the killing of innocent civilians by Indian troops in Shopian.
A large number of Hurriyat leaders and activists participated in the demonstrations which were also aimed at pressing the demand for stern punishment to the culprits involved in the rape and murder of 8-year-old girl Aasifa Bano at Heera Nagar in Kathua area of Jammu region.
The protesters led by Hurriyat leaders including Muhammad Yousuf Naqash, Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Syed Bashir Andrabi, Yasmeen Raja, Showkat Ahmed Bakhshi, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Molvi Bashir Ahmed Irfani, Salim Zargar, Imtiyaz Ahmed Reshi, Khawaja Firdous Wani and Imtiaz Ahmed Shah, chanted high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Anjuman Islamia Bhaderwah in Jammu region also held protests against killings in Shopian.
Meanwhile, complete shutdown continued in Shopian district on the fifth consecutive day, today, against the cold-blooded murder of civilians. The puppet authorities imposed restrictions in the district to prevent people from staging demonstrations against the killings.
The authorities kept Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik under house arrest or in custody to stop them from leading the protests. The authorities also continued to snap the mobile internet services in the district while all educational institutions in the Kashmir Valley remained closed. All examinations scheduled to be held today were postponed. Shutdown was also observed in Nowshera town of Rajouri district of Jammu region against the registering of cases against some locals for raising pro-Pakistan slogans during demonstrations, yesterday.
On the other hand, speakers at an international conference at the European Parliament in Brussels demanded an end to the miseries of women in occupied Kashmir. The conference was organized by the Kashmir Council European Union in collaboration with the members of European Parliament and the speakers included Ali Raza Syed, Wajid Khan, Dr Sajjad Karim, Julie Ward, Danielle Caron and Dr Saddiq Kiani.
In Geneva, Kashmiri representatives, Altaf Hussain Wani, Syed Faiz Naqshbandi, Sardar Amjad Yousaf, Hassan Al-Banna, Parvez Ahmed Shah, Shameem Shawl and Professor Shugfta Ashraf during discussions and interactions with members of different NGOs and human rights defenders briefed them of the gross human rights violations and killing of innocent civilians Kashmir by Indian troops in occupied Kashmir.
The Paris-based media advocacy organization Reporters Without Borders in a statement posted on its website said that occupied Kashmir was turning into a news black-hole and cited the detention of Kashmiri photojournalist, Kamran Yousuf, for the past six months.
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